Abbamonte, who moved to California three years ago after spending over two decades living in NYC, said his new home state is his favorite for one big reason: it’s got everything.

“It has beaches, it has mountains, it has deserts, it has islands, it has great cities, it has good cities,” he said. “No matter what you like — I don’t care who you are — there is something for you here.”

Abbamonte is partial to California because it has nine national parks, the most of any state in the US.

Although he said the only time he’s felt a bit unsafe in the US was in San Francisco, Abbamonte said he’s been back several times and still thinks it’s a “pretty great city.”

Colorado is second on Abbamonte’s list, mainly because of how versatile the topography is and how “great” the national parks are.

“Colorado is just all about the mountains. I’m not even a skier, but I like going to ski towns and doing everything else but skiing. I also like going to ski towns in the summer because I love hiking,” he said. “Eastern Colorado is just like this whole other oasis of plains.”

He also is a fan of Colorado’s smaller cities, including Durango and Telluride. The capital, Denver, is a worthwhile destination, too.

“Denver is also a really cool crossroads of America where the East ends and the West begins,” he added.

While Abbamonte thinks Salt Lake City is “a lovely city,” he said the real magic of Utah lies in its many national parks, including Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon.

“Utah, for me, is pure nature,” he said. “It’s very pleasant and scenic.”

Utah also feels incredibly safe to him, Abbamonte added.

While Abbamonte loves Arizona’s “desert scenery” and the Grand Canyon, he says there is much more to the state than meets the eye.

“Everyone thinks it’s just desert,” he said. “But they have everything there.”

From skiing in Flagstaff to national parks like Saguaro and the Petrified Forest, Abbamonte said Arizona has a more diverse topography than people assume.

“I went to business school in Phoenix, which I love even though it’s not the best city on the surface,” he said. “But, for me, you gotta leave the city to get to the good stuff in Arizona.”

The sunsets, he added, are the best you can find “anywhere in the US.”

Abbamonte has visited Hawaii every year since 2004.

“I’ve been to all the inhabited islands at least three times, and they’re all fabulous,” he said, adding that one of the coolest parts about the seven islands is that each is “completely different.”

“The weather is perfect, there’s great hiking and golfing, and I love Polynesian culture,” he said.

He also is a fan of Honolulu, which he said is incredibly “underrated.”

“You have the big volcano and Waikiki Beach, which is a beautiful beach,” he said. “There’s a reason Obama still goes back there on vacations. It’s absolutely awesome.”

Nevada combines the best of Arizona and Utah because it has both natural beauty and a lot of desert vistas, Abbamonte said.

While he likes Las Vegas, he added, Lake Tahoe is the main reason Nevada makes his top six states in the US.

“That’s probably the most beautiful thing in the United States,” he said. “I’ve been there in the summer and the winter a dozen times, and it’s like a dream.”

Since Abbamonte cares most about versatile geography and the abundance of nature, the states he ranked lowest out of 50 are more “flat” in topography.

Louisiana is the fourth-flattest state in the US, according to the World Population Review.

New Orleans, however, is still a lure for visitors, Abbamonte added.

He also said if his ranking was based on food, it would’ve been in the “top 10, if not top five” because he loves Cajun cuisine.

Some of the most popular things to do in Kentucky, like ride horses or fish, may not be for everyone.

“If you ask people from Kentucky what they like about Kentucky, they’re like, ‘I live on a lake, and I go fishing,’ or ‘I like horses, and it’s the best horse state,'” Abbamonte said. “But I don’t like horses or fishing. It’s one of those things where maybe you have to live there to appreciate it.”

Abbamonte is a fan of Kansas City — Kansas City, Missouri. The city most people have heard of sits on one side of the Kansas River, he said, across from a smaller Kansas City that’s actually in Kansas.

“The only thing I love about Kansas is they have the best college basketball arena in America in Lawrence, where the University of Kansas is,” he said.

He also said there is a museum dedicated to former President Dwight Eisenhower that’s “cool to go to if you like your history.” But, he added, it’s a three-hour drive away from Kansas City, Missouri.

North Dakota is at the bottom of Abbamonte’s ranking because of how much time it takes to get there from other parts of the US.

“When you fly to North Dakota from other states, you usually have to take connecting flights,” he said. “There’s not a lot going on there.”

Other low-ranked states, including Alabama and Mississippi, are at least closer to vibrant cities in different states or coastlines, he said.

Even though he ranked North Dakota 50th out of 50 states, Abbamonte clarified that it isn’t because he dislikes it.

“There are good things there, like Teddy Roosevelt National Park. The problem is it is such a hassle getting there,” he said. “And when you leave the park, you’re like, ‘OK, I’m in North Dakota now. What do I do?'”

Still, Abbamonte said he wouldn’t rule out going back to North Dakota.

“You’d have to give me a good reason to go back to North Dakota simply because of the effort it takes to get there,” he said. “I would never say no to anything because you never know.”